Dangan Ronpa: Prelude to Despair
by mtnetwarrior
Summary: The son of Phoenix Wright, Tora, attends Hope's Peak Academy as the "Super High School Level Attorney". As he makes friends with the other thirty-one students in his class, a dark despair lurks in the background, ready to pounce.
1. Prologue: Welcome to Hope

**Let me start with some exposition. I despise tragedy. And I really hate despair. Yet I enjoy Dangan Ronpa, which ironically is chock-full of both. Yet as I watch it, I can't help but feel that everything in that story could prevented in a number of ways. In this story, I will be introducing an OC of mine, Tora Wright. (Tora is Japanese for tiger BTW.) This first story is part of a trilogy, and basically acts as a prologue to the main game. Hope I do well, 'cause at this point I get nothing directing how I write. Disclaimer: I don't Dangan Ronpa or Ace Attorney.**

Prologue: Welcome to Hope's Peak

Tora Wright walked up to impressive school and smiled. When he got the letter inviting him to Hope's Peak Academy, he could hardly believe his eyes. Getting into this school was not a simple matter of passing an entrance exam. No, one did not simple apply for this school; they had to be invited. And for that to happen, they not only had to be a high school student, they had to possess an incredible talent, beyond that of anyone with a similar talent. And now Tora was being given the title "Super High-School Level Attorney".

To say he was a prodigy was almost an understatement. Using the techniques taught to him by his father, Phoenix Wright, Tora has passed the bar exam at only ten years old, breaking the all time record for youngest individual to pass the bar set by Franziska von Karma, who had passed at thirteen years old. Tora himself was rather tall, about six feet high, with a trim figure. He was decked out in a blue attorney's suit similar to that of his father, along with a white shirt underneath and a red tie. His hair was short, brown and spiky and he had green eyes.

He knew from checking various online sites that there would a total of thirty-two students, including himself, each of which were considered the upper elite. A super-star idol, an all star, a popular cover model, a chef, a princess, a gambler, even an outlaw biker. Apparently, the school was even planning on researching intangibles, and for that reason had selected a student with incredible optimism, and one with incredible good luck. Tora couldn't wait to meet them all. If there was one thing he enjoyed, it was making friends. That was one of keys to success as an attorney, he would become friends with his clients.

Inside the brightly lit entrance hall, he could already two of his fellow students, both guys with the same overall as him. One of them gave a traditional bow. "Greetings, fellow student," the young man said, "I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru." Ishimaru had spiky black hair, wide red eyes, and large eyebrows. He was wearing a pure white school uniform, likely from his previous high school, with a red band around left arm, indicating a hall monitor. "Ah yes," Tora said, "You're the one given the title 'Super High School Level Prefect', yes?" Ishimaru nodded. "That's right."

Tora had heard a great deal about Ishimaru. His grandfather had been a former prime minister, but had gained through his own natural genius rather than truly working for it. When he stepped down due to becoming unpopular, Ishimaru had sworn to restore his family's honor by working hard. He became the perfect honor student, always following the rules to the letter, and making sure those around him did the same. Every school he had ever attended became a paradise of learning.

The other student looked at Tora. "You would be Tora Wright, correct? The 'Super High School Level Attorney'?" Tora smiled. With a condescending voice like that, this young man could only be Byakuya Togami, the "Super High School Level Heir". Togami was wearing a black business suit with a white shirt and green cris cross tie. He had short blond hair and clear blue eyes behind white framed glasses. His family company was the most successful in Japan, and Togami himself had put his family's business contacts to good use to raise a considerable fortune of his own.

"It seems we're the first to arrive," Togami said, "We're supposed to wait in the entrance hall for everyone else." "Well they're late," Ishimaru said, "We were supposed to assemble here at exactly 7:00 AM. It's already 7:01 AM." "Give them time," Tora said, "Not everyone can run like clockwork." Sure enough, one by one each of the other students entered the main hall. First was Sakura Oogami, the "Super High School Level Fighter". Sakura's large-sized sailor uniform had ripper sleeves, and her blue skirt barely covered her thighs. There were also training bandages wrapped around her lower legs, going down into her shoes. Her hair was long and white with blue eyes, her skin was tanned red, indicative of natives of Kyushu, and there was a scar going diagonally across her face. At first glance, one could be forgiven for mistaking her for a man. She was well known for inheriting the title of "World's Strongest Fighter" and had taken great strides to deserve that title. To date, there was only man in the whole world who could beat her.

The next one to walk in was Leon Kuwata, the "Super High School Level All Star". Kuwata's punk appearance didn't scream athlete. He had spiky red hair, piercings on his lip, tongue, and ears, and a goatee. His eyes were pale blue and he had a white jacket and shirt, black jeans, and heavy accessories sauch as chains, belts, and other gear. His shirt had a red grunge skull on his shirt, and seemed to be wearing white platform shoes. Despite his appearance, he was probably the best baseball player out there, even better than most major league players.

Next was Aoi Asahina, the "Super High School Level Swimmer". Her skin was also tanned, but this looked to be more due to sun exposure, which made sense given her talent. She had brown hair that was tied up in a pony tail that actually rose up above her head. Her eyes were a more deep blue. She was wearing athletic shorts and a red track suit jacket over her white shirt. He body was very curvaceous, likely a product of her swimming career. She had won multiple swimming competitions even from a young age, and was even selected to represent Japan in the next Olympics.

The next two to come in were Makoto Naegi, the "Super High School Level Hope", and Sayaka Maizono, the "Super High School Level Idol". Naegi looked rather typical for someone going to an elite high school such as Hope's Peak. He has simple brown hair and green-grey eyes, and was wearing a brown-green hoodie with black jeans and red sneakers. While Naegi was a rather average student, he had a special quality; his incredible amount of optimism. He was willing to help others whenever and however he could, and always brought up the spirits of those around him.

On the other hand, Maizono was far from average. She was so perfect in appearance one could almost see her as a doll. She had long dark blue hair held in place with several hair clips, and her eyes were a brighter blue. She was wearing a simple sailor school girl uniform. Becoming a talented teen idol at a pre-teen age, Maizono and her idol friends were all over the media as the biggest signing sensation ever heard. Not to mention they were apparently the closest of friends, never having a single fight in their entire careers. Why Maizono seemed to be so close to Naegi was a mystery to Tora.

The next two students also walked in together. Junko Enoshima, the "Super High School Level Model", and Mukuro Ikusaba, the "Super High School Level Mercenary". If Tora had to describe Enoshima in one word, it would definitely be "gorgeous". She had a very tall and feminine figure. Her eyes were a clear blue and she had strawberry blonde hair that was tied up into pigtails. She wore a black cardigan over a white dress shirt that was open enough to expose some of her lacy bra. She also wore a loose white tie with a red bow clipped over her left breast, as well as black laced up boots. Her modeling career was well known in the modeling industry and was in every fashion magazine, especially the covers, and had walked down every fashion runway in the world.

Ikusaba looked similar to Enoshima, though considering they were twin sisters this was not surprising. There were small differences, here eyes were less round, her bust was smaller, and she seemed to have freckles on her nose. There was also the more glaring difference of her short, bobbed black hair. Tora couldn't help but be reminded of his mother Iris and his late Aunt Dahlia. Ikusaba also wore a typical high school sailor uniform, and had a wolf's tattoo on her right hand. When Tora got a closer look, he recognized it as the brand of the Fenrir Company, a group of mercenaries that Ikusaba belonged to. She was such a good soldier that she had gone through her whole career without suffering a single wound in battle.

The next student to enter was Celestia Ludenberg, the "Super High School Level Gambler". She was the very picture of a gothic lolita, with her slim figure and pale skin. Her hair was a dark blue tied in twin-drill pigtail. She also had red eyes that seemed to analyze everything around her, likely studying the faces of her fellow students. Her outfit consisted of a white blouse with a peter-pan collar, a black jacket with a simple white ribbon lacing down the sleeves fastened across her chest, a red tie with a butterfly pattern on it, a multi-tiered, white laced skirt, knee-high black stockings, red mary jane shoes, a white lace headpiece, and silver, almost weapon-like ring. She was well known in underground gambling circles for being able to successfully take the fortunes of many big-time players with her skills, and she was often called the "Queen of Liars".

Following behind her was Chihiro Fujisaki, the "Super High School Level Programmer". She was very small and feminine looking, and was also very doll-like. She had short, light-brown hair and matching eyes. Her school uniform consisted of a dark green jacket, a white dress shirt, a brown skirt with matching suspenders, black socks and white shoes. She was very popular with both boys and girls due her meek personality, but her talent with computers was without equal. In fact, many of the programs she had created were still used by many corporations, from police to military to business. And all from one little girl.

The next one to come in was Touko Fukawa, the "Super High School Level Bookworm". She seemed rather timid around the others. Fukawa was wearing a dark girl's sailor uniform with a longer skirt than on most such uniforms. Her hair was aubergine and was tied in twin braids. She had smokey grey eyes behind her round glasses. Fukawa's career as a romance novelist was ironically started when she tried writing a love letter to a boy she liked in elementary school. Her teacher had apparently found it and liked it so much she hung on the bulletin board for all to admire. Though initially embarrassed, Fukawa soon learned her talent for romance stories. One of her stories, "Before the Sea's Scent Fades Away", was so popular that fishermen become popular with teenage girls for months after it was first published.

Next up was Hifumi Yamada, the "Super High School Level Otaku". He was far more rotund that the other students so far, and had black hair with a pointed ahoge. He seemed to be squinting behind his thick glasses, so it was hard to see his eye color. He wore a grey, unbuttoned cardigan over his short with black trousers and white trainers. He was carrying an orange backpack. Yamada was well known in the otaku world and was a popular doujin author, having once sold 1,000 copies of one of his works in a single convention.

After that came Kyouko Kirigiri, the "Super High School Level Detective". She was very pretty wth purple eyes and a pale complexion, not to mention her waist-length lavender hair tied on one side with a black ribbon. She wore a dark purple collared jacket over a white blouse and brown tie. She also had a short skirt and heeled knee-high boots. Her gloves seemed custom fit to her hands and seemed to be made of a breathable material. Kirigiri has solved many of the toughest cases throughout the country, leading the police to a number of high profile criminals. It was said there was no criminal that could escape her keen wits and sharp mind.

The next to come in was Yasuhiro Hagakure, the "Super High School Level Shaman". His dark brown hair was spread out in an extravagant style, and his eyes were a matching color. He wore three layers of shirts, the top one an old green uniform jacket, the second being a rough white, and the third being a small yellow short sleeve shirt. His pants seemed to match his jacket. He was using a yellow rope as a belt. Hagakure was a rising star in the fortune-telling community. Even though the accuracy of his predictions was a mere 30%, that was still better than most other fortune tellers.

Next was Mondo Oowada, the "Super High School Level Outlaw Biker". He was easily biggest guy there, with only Sakura being overall bigger. Oowada's hair was styled in a light, pale brown pompadour, with the back of his hair being straighter with a darker brown color, and his eyes had purple irises. He was wearing a long black coat with a white shirt underneath, and loose black pants with a bulky silver belt buckle in the center. He was the leader of the Crazy Diamonds, the largest biker gang in Japan. In spite of his delinquent status, he was a man of honor and strove to carry on the legacy of his late brother, the gang's previous leader.

As the first group of students got to know each other, the next group came in. Tora saw the first one and nearly did a double take as the person almost resembled Naegi. Tora quickly realized this was Nagito Komaeda, the "Super High School Level Luckster". Komaeda had messy white hair and light grey eyes. He wore a green coat with red squares on the right shoulder and a red number "55". His shirt was a regular white one with an unusual symbol on it. His pants were typical black jeans held up by a long chain with a skull charm attached. His shoes seemed to use zippers instead of more typical laces or velcro. Although he didn't seem like much, he was the luckiest person on the planet. Not only did his parents avoid divorce ten times, he had also won every known game of luck and chance ever conceived, and there was not a single carnival game he had not won a prize from.

There was also Chiaki Nanami, the "Super High School Level Gamer". She had short, light pink hair that was slightly curled, with a Galaga clip tying it back. Her eyes were a matching color. She wore and unzipped dark green hoodie with pointed on the hood, with a white buttoned shirt and pink ribbon underneath. She also had on a pale brown skirt with black thigh highs and white shoes. She owned every game system ever created from every country, and played every game that had ever been made. She was so good that she could even carry on a conversation while still playing on an expert level.

Tora then spotted two individuals standing near each other. They were Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, the "Super High School Level Gangster", and Peko Pekoyama, the "Super High School Level Swordswoman". Kuzuryuu seemed to rather childlike, but his pinstripe suit and the animal skull on his tie told Tora it might not be a good idea to bring that up. Kuzuryuu also had dusty blonde hair with distinctive curved lines shaved on either side. The Kuzuryuu family was perhaps the most well-known, and most violent, of all the Yakuza families. While Kuzuryuu was the next in line to lead the family, he earned respect by his strength and merit, rather by relying on his family's power.

Pekoyama was a rather attractive girl, but had a rather blank look on her face. She wore a dark turquoise schoolgirl uniform with an ascot tied around her neck. Her skirt was rather short, and she wore dark tights underneath them with white shoes. Her hair was long and silver and was tied in two braids. Her eyes were bright red and she wore glasses. Over her shoulder was slung a bamboo training sword. Where her talent with the sword came from was unknown, but it was unquestionable, Pekoyama having won professional kendo tournaments with those skills.

There was also Ibuki Mioda, the "Super High School Level Musician". Like Kuwata, she seemed to resemble a punk rocker, with a dirty female sailor uniform, ripped thigh highs, several piercings and a number of accessories. Tora could see what looked like a stitched scar through some of the rips in her leggings. Mioda's was multi-colored, with stripes of black, pink, blue, and white, and styled up like two horns. While originally a member of her old school's light music club, her true passion came to light shortly afterward as a expert rock star. Her exceptional hearing heavily contributed to her musical talent.

Another student was Kazuichi Souda, the "Super High School Level Mechanic". His hair seemed to be a hot pink color, likely dyed, and was mostly hidden under a grey beanie. He also a bright yellow jumpsuit with hot pink stripes going all the down to his ankles. His eyes seemed to be the same color as his hair, though closer inspection showed he was wearing contacts, and his eyebrows reached up to his hairline. When he saw Tora he smiled, showing his sharpened, shark-like teeth. Souda was legendary for his talent with machines of all kinds, stemming from his time working in his father's bike shop. He could build and create almost anything.

Not far away was Gundam Tanaka, the "Super High School Level Animal Breeder", and Sonia Nevermind, the "Super High School Level Princess". Tanaka wore a long, black jacket, the left sleeve of which was rolled up and held in place by pins, a purple scarf around his neck. His left seemed to be heavily bandaged. Tora also saw an interesting earring hanging from Tanaka's right ear, which upon closer inspection appeared to be the famous "Devil Dog Earring". Under Tanaka's jacket was a white button-up shirt that was left open, and under that was a slightly darker shirt with a strange symbol on it. His black pants were held up with a belt with a silver buckle and had numerous straps along them. His hair was black with a few grey streaks, and he had one grey eye and one red eye, and there was a scar over his left eye. He had been known to have breed the finest creatures in the whole world, his pride and joy being the four hamsters he always had with him.

One of those hamsters was snuggling on the shoulder of Sonia. As her title suggested, she was an actual princess from the small country of Novoselic, and was the only other exchange student besides Tora. She had knee-length blonde hair and pale skin. Her eyes were bright green. She wore a green and white dress with large red ribbon on the chest, with a black ribbon in her hair. The country of Novoselic, despite being one of the smallest European countries, was far from third-world due to its very successful economy. Sonia, the princess of that country, was the true picture of what a princess should be. Not only pure of heart, but an exceptionally gifted leader, fit to take the throne when the time came. She first came to Japan due to a fascination with its culture.

Next was Chie Ooshida, the "Super High School Level Imposter". Her face was very plain looking, with white hair and black eyes. She was wearing a white detective's uniform, likely a fitted version of her father's. Ooshida was the daughter of an elite spy known only as "The Phantom", who had trained to detach himself from all emotion and identity. Ooshida, however, did not believe that was necessary to become a super-spy, so she focused solely on becoming a master disguise artist. Soon she was able to effectively disguise herself as anyone she wanted, without leaving any sign as to an imposter. Due to her being so small, the size and gender of the individual didn't matter.

There was a timid girl named Mikan Tsumiki, the "Super High School Level Nurse". She had dark purple hair with lighter, more greyish-purple eyes. She was wearing a nurse's uniform with a pale pink short-sleeved shirt with puffed sleeves, as well as a white apron tied behind her with a ribbon. She also a pale blue pleated skirt, and her right leg and left arm were heavily bandaged. Her exceptional medical talents came from unfortunate physical abuse at the hands of her own family, though this lessened over the years as they realized their previous conception of her being useless was proven false. In fact, there was no injury or illness that Tsumiki could not treat, and she had even helped cancer patients recover.

The next student was Akane Owari, the "Super High School Level Gymnast". Like Asahina, her skin appeared to be tanned from sun exposure, and she had shoulder-length chestnut hair that was very unkempt, as well as brown eyes. She was wearing a short sleeved white blouse with the top buttons undone due to her large bust, which appeared to be even bigger than Asahina's or Enoshima's, and there was what looked like a black tank-top beneath her blouse. She also wore a plaid miniskirt and sockless loafers. She had started getting into gymnastics as a mean to make money for her family, and found it be her greatest asset, winning awards across the globe.

Near her was Nekomaru Nidai, the "Super High School Level Coach". He was tall and muscular, easily rivaling Sakura in size. His hair was jet black and his eyes seemed to emit a blue electric aura. He was wearing a white tank top under a black jacket, as well as blue pants and sandals. There chains around his neck with a whistle hanging in the middle of it. He was extremely passionate about supporting athletes and could even convert the worst teams in the world into grand champions. His inspiration for this was the memory of a person he had met in the hospital while recovering from a heart disease, who had apparently died before he could see his team win.

Next was Teruteru Hanamura, the "Super High School Level Cook". He was short and rather plump, likely a product of trying his own culinary creations. He was wearing a classic chef's coat with a red undershirt, a red scarf around his neck, and a half-apron around his waist. There was a small chef's hat on his head. He dark brown hair was styled in a pompadour that seemed to lean to the left. His eyes seemed to be too narrow to determine the color. Hanamura ran his family restaurant for the sake of his ill mother, and the food he made was so good that it was rumored anything you tried afterward tasted like cardboard. This was an exaggeration but there was no denying that Hanamura was a culinary genius beyond his years.

The student to arrive was Mahiru Koizumi, the "Super High School Level Photographer". She wore an olive-green school jumper with a cream and orange tie, as well as matching knee-high socks and shoes. Her hair was a choppy crimson bob, and her eyes seemed to match her outfit. Her trusty, high quality camera was being carried in a bag over her shoulder. She was eager to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a famous war photographer, and given the quality of work she was certainly well on her way. In fact many of photographs had been featured on the covers of a number of prominent magazines, something not even her mother could boast.

The last student to enter the hall was Hiyoko Saionji, the "Super High School Level Classical Dancer". Given how small and petite she was, one would think she was not actually of high school age. She had long blonde hair tied into curved twin tails. Her eyes looked like bright gold. She was dressed in a orange traditional furisode kimono with a white floral pattern, tied with a green obi sash, as well as zori sandals. As the pride of her family, Saionji was formally trained in the classic dance and proved to be a true prodigy. Her looks and talent drew many new fans to this ancient style.

Shortly after Saionji came in, Tora felt his stomach pains come in again. "Damn," he said, "No time for food." "You need to eat something?," Saionji asked him. Tora nodded. "I was born with a genetic defect that makes my stomach acids work a little harder. The pain from it comes at least twice a day. I usually just need to eat something to make it stop." Saionji gave him the bag she was holding. "You can have the rest of my gummies." Tora thanked her as he took the bag, then noticed that it was just full of yellow gummies. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't like the yellow ones," Saionji explained. Tora shrugged and shook the contents of the bag into his mouth. They were a bit sour, but Tora quickly felt his pains subside. The thirty-two students already started greeting each other and making friends. As they headed for orientation, their hopes for their futures seemed bright and full of hope.

To be continued...

**The first three chapter will take place Pre-Despair, the last three come after. Also, Ooshida is another OC of mine, based off the false Togami from the second Dangan Ronpa game. Oh yeah, and Tora's physical appearance is similar to that of Hajime Hinata who is also from the second game. I simply gave him an outfit similar to his father.**


	2. Chapter 1: The 78th Class

**Things will start of hunky-dory. But trust me, this is only the calm before the storm. Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 1: The 78th Class

The class got settled into their individual rooms after orientation, then met the next morning for breakfast. Of one would expect, there were three groups of people who arrived for timed events. Those who arrived at the exact time in question were real sticklers for the rules, such as Tora, Oogami, and especially Ishimaru. The next group were those that were slightly tardier, just your average high school students, even they were elite. These included Komaeda, Naegi, and Enoshima. Then there were those who felt their time should not run by the standards of others, such as Togami, Celes, and Hagakure.

Tora spent most of breakfast getting to know his fellow students. He had been a little surprised to find their headmaster was Kirigiri's father, and that she had deliberately showcased her talents as a detective so that Hope's Peak would scout her out and she could meet her father, which turned out better than she expected. "I came here wondering why he would choose this school over our family," she said during breakfast, "But it turns out I didn't need to go to the lengths I did. He was planning on bringing me here all along." She smiled. "I guess... My father truly loves me as his daughter after all."

"Quick question," Komaeda said, "Why the gloves? Are you trying to emulate a typical movie detective?" "Actually my gloves serve a more practical purpose," Kirigiri said as she carefully removed them. The others cringed at the sight of her scarred hands. "It's a little embarrassing," Kirigiri said as she put her glove back on, "A mistake I made when I was still an amateur." "There's no need to feel embarrassed," Naegi said, "Everyone makes mistakes early in life. It's all part of the growing experience." Kirigiri blushed as she smiled.

"That reminds me," Koizumi said, "I remember seeing you and Maizono together before orientation. Did you know each other before today?" Maizono nodded. "We've known each other since middle school. But until yesterday we had only seen each other in passing." "When we met again just outside the school," Naegi said, "I was surprised she even remembered me. We got to talking and I learned... Well... That she had always had a crush on me." Kirigiri suddenly narrowed her eyes, and Tora couldn't help but feel that there was a potential rivalry brewing.

Over at the next table, Fujisaki asked, "Saionji, how come you haven't tried the orange juice yet?" "I did try a little," Saionji said, "But it was too sour for me. I don't like sour things." "That explains why you don't like yellow gummies," Tora said, "I noted they were a little sour." Ooshida seemed to be wolfing down her food, right alongside Owari. "Look out guys," Oowada said with a laugh, "We got a couple carnivores here." Tanaka scoffed. "Breeding animals for food. Is there nothing more shameful. Hunting is one thing, but I cannot abide the use of such a noble art just to have the creature slaughtered." That got him a few funny looks, except from Sonia who seemed moved by his words.

* * *

Time passed slowly, as if to give the students more time to get to know each other. A few days into the school year, Saionji and Koizumi found Souda sobbing while he was working on one of the large vehicles in the shop class. "Something wrong Souda?," Saionji asked. "It's Sonia, man," Souda said with a sob, "I've been trying to get her to go out with me for a while now. But... But... She prefers to hang out with Tanaka! What does he have that I don't?!" "Cute, cuddly hamsters for one thing," Saionji said, "I remember Tanaka blushing when Sonia called them that." Koizumi chuckled. "It also doesn't help that your remarks towards Sonia have been slightly perverted. I mean, you're not as bad as Hanamura, but still..."

Remembering Hanamura's frequent lewd remarks towards the females of the group, minus Oogami, Saionji, and Fujisaki, cheered Souda right up. "Yeah, he is much worse isn't he. I think I earlier caught him trying to convince Sonia to help him suck the 'poison' out of his lower body. Needless to say, he was quickly stopped by Tora and Komaeda." He sighed. "Maybe I was a little bad, but I can't help it. I've always wanted a blonde bombshell for a girlfriend, and Sonia definitely qualifies." "I'm sure you'll find another," Saionji said, "After all, Sonia may be naive, but she's no airhead. Although I can honestly say it's not your appearance that drives girl's off." "Thanks," Souda said, and he got back to his work.

* * *

"I guess it's only natural that some of us would start hooking up," Togami said. He and Tora were in the library, having found a mutual interest in reading old police files. Tora was reading on the multiple crimes committed by Ooshida's father, the Phantom. Togami was engrossed in a confidential report on the mysterious serial killer Genocider Shou. "Anything interesting the public doesn't already know?," Tora asked. "Well," Togami said, "There is the interesting fact that Genocider Shou apparently crucifies his victims with his scissors. I remember reading about this in a similar file in my family's reading room."

At that moment a strange smell greeted Tora's nostrils. "What the...?," he said as he turned to the source of the smell, which turned out to be Fukawa. "You should go take a shower," Togami said, "You're stinking up the library." Fukawa seemed embarrassed and hurried off. "That girl needs to pay more attention to her hygiene," Togami said when she left, "Going too long without a shower cannot be healthy." "You sound as if you're truly worried about her," Tora said. Togami nodded. "I've noticed her stalking me several times, but never said anything." He smirked. "To be honest, I think she may be worth my attention." Tora chuckled and sipped his soda.

* * *

Fukawa was scrubbing herself in the women's bath. She looked at the kanji carved into her upper thighs. _'I suppose sooner or later I'll have to tell them about my DID. I saw Togami reading that file. About "her" murders. My other self. A side I'd prefer didn't exist.'_ "Those look nasty," came Tsumiki's voice. Fukawa turned to see her standing there with her bathing gear. "How long have you had those?" Fukawa looked nervous. "For a while now. They were self-inflicted, but not out of a suicide attempt." She looked down. "You see, I have dissociative identity disorder. It tends to be triggered when I sneeze or faint. Then the other me comes out."

Tsumiki looked worried. "Dare I ask what your other side is like?" Fukawa looked at her. "Her name... Is Genocider Shou..." Tsumiki gasped. "You mean that serial killer that's been all over the news? That's you? Well, I guess technically not because of your DID." Fukawa nodded. "When I noticed my ElectroiD contained a profile for Genocider, I realized the headmaster knew. I was surprised he didn't have me turned in. Anyway, Genocider was officially given the title 'Super High School Level Murderer'. I guess since the school was in need of my talents as an author, they had no choice but to let her in as well. Though don't ask me how a serial killer can bring hope to the world."

* * *

The others were a little thrown when Fukawa went and admitted to her condition. "Note to self," Hanamura said, "Use less pepper in my dishes." "I can't believe she actually went and admitted she was a serial killer," Oogami said. Tora shrugged. "To be fair, her DID gives her ample cause to plead insanity in a court of law." Togami smiled. "Well... You've certainly become much more fascinating to me." Hearing that, Fukawa started blushing. "Togami..." She fainted then and there from joy. "Uh oh," Tsumiki said, "She told me earlier that fainting brings out her other side as well.

Sure enough, Fukawa's eyes snapped open, now much wider and bright red. Her teeth seemed to become razor sharp and her tongue seemed to grow in length. This was clearly Genocider Shou. "Huh?," Genocider said as she looked around in confusion, "Oh wait, this must be Hope's Peak Academy. So you guys are the other students huh?" Genocider seemed to be much more open than Fukawa, and she quickly revealed a great deal about herself. This included the fact that she and Fukawa shared knowledge but not memories. Apparently, her preferred choice of victim was cute guys that turned her on. Luckily, the only guy in the class that came close was Togami, and even he came just short of the mark. Genocider was simply infatuated with him, not aroused.

* * *

A few days later, Enoshima met with Tora at the game room. "Seems like students are already starting to hook up, huh?," she said with a coy smile. Tora smirked. "If you're trying to get my attention, you're too late. You already had it the second I laid eyes on you. The only reason I haven't made a move is because I wanted to get to know you first, so that I couldn't be accused of dating you simply because you're a model." "Wow," Enoshima said, "You may be the first guy who thought that about me." She frowned. "Me and my sister Ikusaba grew up homeless. Our parents, they had never even married, which is why the two of us have different last names."

"Must have been hard," Tora said, "I can't imagine that sort of life." Enoshima nodded. "Eventually we took to our individual jobs to make the money needed to survive. Ikusaba eventually joined the Fenrir Company, and I got my first modeling contract. It was a surprisingly easy ride for me. I didn't even have to do that whole bulimia crap other models seem to drag themselves into. My metabolism proved to be good enough to keep my natural figure, gaining only a normal amount of weight which was easy to get rid of with regular exercise. Heck, I didn't even need all that heavy make-up. You could say I was born to model. Anyway between me and my sister we made enough to live a comfortable life. Talk about rising above despair huh? I guess getting accepted into Hope's Peak Academy was destiny for us." Tora smiled and nodded.

* * *

Later that same day, Naegi walked into the cafeteria when he heard Ishimaru call out, "Naegi, perfect timing." Naegi saw Ishimaru standing there with Oowada. Apparently, the two of them had been clashing again. It was no surprise, a delinquent versus a prefect. And since these two were the pinnacle of these types of students, this would naturally be taken to the next level. "This chump here is accusing me of having no balls," Oowada said angrily. "Well you don't," Ishimaru retorted, "You keep resorting to violence to solve your problems, ergo... YOU HAVE NO BALLS!" "OH REALLY!," Oowada yelled back, "AND WHAT?! YOU THINK YOU HAVE BALLS?! YOU THINK THEY'RE BIGGER THAN MINE?!"

Next thing Naegi knew, he was acting as a witness for Ishimaru and Oowada while they had an endurance test in the school's sauna room. Oowada had even kept his clothes on just to prove he was tougher. "How long's it been?," Ikusaba said as she walked by. "They've been at it for forty minutes," Naegi replied, "At this point I think it's sheer will that's keeping them in there." Ikusaba looked at the two of them, a little concerned. "Don't worry," Naegi said, "Sooner or later they'll be out." He smiled at Ikusaba, causing her to blush.

* * *

Meanwhile, Pekoyama walked into the gym to train her swordsmanship when she saw an interesting sight. Nidai was on the ground, his head resting on Owari's lap. Oogami was standing over them, Asahina raising Oogami's arm in victory. "Let me guess," Pekoyama said, "Nidai and Oogami had a sparring match, and Oogami won." "In one move," Asahina said excitedly, "All she did was counter Nidai and he was out cold." Pekoyama couldn't help but giggle. Asahina then noticed the necklace she was wearing. "Wow, that's pretty." Pekoyama blushed. "It was a gift from Kuzuryuu. You see, I'm his bodyguard. But... He sees me as more than just that."

She smiled. "I don't know if I'd go so far as to say he loves me, but up until my last birthday I thought I was just a tool to him. You see, I was raised by the Kuzuryuu family, and it was from them that I learned my skill with the sword. When it was clear how much of a prodigy I was, the family employed me as a part-time assassin, and a full-time bodyguard for Kuzuryuu. So, we wound up growing up together, and over the years... We became close. He's more dear to me than anything else in the world, but until he gave me this necklace I was sure he only saw me as another tool to be used, which I didn't mind. I thought that was my destiny."

* * *

"Then for her last birthday, I gave her that necklace," Kuzuryuu said. He was playing pool with Tora, Celes, and Togami. "I gotta say, as we got older, I started to realize how much she meant to me. Heck, I'd go so far as to say... I'm crazy for her." Tora took his shot, sinking two correct balls. "I certainly hope you don't save the love confession for her next birthday," Celes said, "A girl can only wait so long." "You seem to have gotten pretty friendly with Yamada," Tora said. Celes giggled. "While he's not my preferred type, he is sweet. And he knows to lay off the perversion in the presence of lady... Unlike a certain chubby chef."

The four of them laughed at the thought. Of course they also knew that Yamada didn't see his doujin as a form of perversion, but rather self-expression. His dream was to break the stereotype of doujin artists being complete perverts, and it showed in his efforts to keep his inner thoughts to himself while in public. His ultimate goal was to draw a doujin so perfect it would inspire others to create their own. "I don't know if it truly is possible to create such a doujin," Togami said, "But everyone needs a dream, regardless of wealth or status. It's what keeps us in the real world."

* * *

The next day saw Ishimaru and Oowada in the cafeteria laughing together with their arms over each others' shoulders, acting like brothers. "They've been like this ever since they got out of the sauna," Naegi explained, "Seems while they were having their contest, they passed the time by talking, and apparently found they had more in common than they thought." "That's nice and all," Saionji said, "But who won the contest?" Ishimaru smirked. "Just forget about it. Forget... Forget... Forget BEAM!" That got everyone else laughing.

"By the way Kuwata," Fujisaki said, "I saw you in the art room earlier making out with Mioda. Are you two together now?" Kuwata suddenly turned as red as his hair. "It's not a big deal," he said, "I met Mioda a year ago in a hair salon and fell in love with her. I mean, as an All Star I'm used to being around pretty girls, but Mioda was a step above and beyond. But since she was a musician I thought my only shot at her was to become one myself. So when I came here I thought I could quit being an All Star and become the 'Super High School Level Musician'. Imagine my surprise when I find out she's attending this school with that very title."

"Ibuki overheard what Kuwata had intended," Mioda said, "So I approached him and said he didn't have to do that just to be with me. Ibuki is musician enough for two people." Kuwata smiled. "When I heard that, my drive to be a top athlete suddenly came welling up again. With my level of skill, I didn't even need practice. I wouldn't have even kept going except for two things. One, it kept people from kicking me out of school just because of my bad attitude. Two, it made me incredibly popular. But now that I know the girl of my dreams doesn't need me to be like her, I feel that old passion again." "So we wound up kissing in the art room," Mioda said, "After all, when Ibuki first saw Kuwata in that salon I thought he was hot."

* * *

Earlier in the sauna Oowada had accidentally broken his ElectroiD and had to get it replaced. Turned out they couldn't withstand high temperatures. He was waiting in the men's changing room for Fujisaki, though how she was going to enter with a women's ElectroiD was beyond him. To his surprise though, that's exactly what she did. "Wait a minute...," Oowada said, "Fujisaki, are you actually a guy?" Fujisaki nodded, embarrassed. "See, I've always been small and weak, and those around me kept saying I had to be stronger because I was born a boy. I thought by disguising myself as a girl I could escape that."

He placed his bag on the bench. "But I want to overcome that weakness. And I thought that by working out with someone I could do that. Since you're one of the strongest people here I thought you could help." Oowada smiled. "Kid, strength doesn't come from one's body alone. Me, Oogami, and even Nidai realize this. Let me give you an example from my past." He closed his eyes. "The man who ran my gang before me was my brother, Daia. He made the Crazy Diamonds. I was always the number two, but my brother was soon to retire and pass leadership to me."

"So what happened?," Fujisaki said. "I was afraid the gang would always compare me to Daia," Oowada said, "So I challenged him to a race. I was determined to beat him and prove my strength. But I was careless. I was so intent on winning I wound up driving into oncoming traffic. Daia quickly pushed me out of the way of a truck that would have run me over, only to get run over himself. In his dying moments, he made me swear to keep the gang together. When I told them the truth of what happened, and made it clear I intended to keep my promise, they saw the true strength within me. After that day the Crazy Diamonds became stronger than ever." He placed a hand on Fujisaki shoulders. "The weight of man can only be carried by themselves, but when it's shaken off, they become that much stronger for it." Fujisaki smiled and nodded.

* * *

Deep inside an unknown portion of the school, two students were talking to each other. "These are the students of the 78th class," one of them said, "The new 'hope' for the school." "Hope...," the other one said, "Of what use is hope. In the end it is fleeting, it is temporary. Granted despair is the same, but it is so much easier to except." The first student smiled. "And we have an entire reserve school filled with students who are ripe to fall." The two of them chuckled to each other, already plotting for the following years.

To be continued...

**Nothing's going pear-shaped yet, but I thought I'd give a set-up for future events. This first chapter quite clearly set up the various friendships the group will have. And things will only get more interesting from here.**


	3. Chapter 2: Three-way Battle for Naegi

**Time now for an interesting development. Disclaimer: I don't own Dagan Ronpa or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 2: Three-way Battle for Naegi's Heart

Four months had passed since the school year started. The students were all enjoying their lunch together. For now, they had decided to keep Fujisaki's true gender a secret from Genocider Shou for as long as possible. A cross-dressing boy would have certainly turned her on, but there was something interesting about her personality. If Genocider knew a person well enough to call them a friend, she wouldn't kill them, no matter much their appearance aroused her. Luckily, Fukawa and Genocider did not share memories, only knowledge, so letting Fukawa in on the secret was okay.

As the gang went through their usual conversations, Komaeda and Nanami came in arm-in-arm. It was clear they had fallen in love. "Whoa," Souda said approvingly, "When did this happen?" "Well," Komaeda said, "It started when Nanami came to me asking for help on some of the dating sims she was playing." "It's the one genre of gaming I've never been good at," Nanami said, "I've always found myself to be socially awkward. So Komaeda agreed to help me, relying on his good luck and common sense to help with all the difficult questions. As we kept playing, we found ourselves..." She blushed. "Getting closer..."

"That reminds me," Enoshima said, "Ikusaba mentioned she had developed a crush on someone." Ikusaba suddenly blushed, and Tora raised an eyebrow. "Who?" Enoshima grinned. "I would tell... Except this guy's already caught between two girls. I'm not sure how that would go down." Both Kirigiri and Maizono looked shocked, already guessing who Enoshima was talking about. "I didn't even think Ikusaba even had those feelings," Oowada said, "Being the tough mercenary she is." "I can have those thought too!," Ikusaba said defensively, "And he... He smiled at me... No other boy has ever done that." _'Uh oh...,'_ Naegi thought, _'I think she may be referring to me.'_

* * *

Some time later, Tsumiki approached Enoshima. "I have a question to ask you, Enoshima. How do you feel about Tora?" Enoshima blinked. "I'd have thought that was obvious. That dashing suit, that serious expression, that no-nonsense attitude. When I saw him standing there like that..." She sighed dreamily as her face turned red. Then she had a thought. "Wait, you're not gonna say you like him too?" Tsumiki blushed. "Well, that too... But more importantly, there is someone else I have a crush on."

Enoshima blinked. "Who?" Tsumiki nervously pointed to Enoshima, causing her to blush. "Wow... This is a first. I've had of plenty of guys fall for me, but you may be the first girl whose told me this." She crossed her arms. "I gotta admit, it's making me a little curious to try it. However..." She closed her eyes. "If we're together, Tora comes with. Okay?" Tsumiki smiled and nodded. "This... Is going to be a little interesting. I don't think I've ever had this sort of relationship before. Then again, I've never really had a relationship before at all so..." Enoshima smiled and placed a hand on Tsumiki's shoulder. "Then we'll take it a step at a time."

* * *

The next day, people were a little surprised to see Tora walk into the room with Enoshima and Tsumiki on either arm. They were not surprised to see Ikusaba, Kirigiri, and Maizono arguing over who should have Naegi. "He should really just pick all of them and end this arguing," Togami said. Naegi said. "Believe me I've tried. All I've succeeded in doing in getting them to argue about who I love more." With Asahina deciding she liked Hagakure, Nidai and Owari pretty much being into each other from day one, Fujisaki having earned Saionji's affection, Koizumi having convinced Souda to date her, and Ooshida getting Hanamura's attention by showcasing her ability to pretend to be all the other girls that turned him on, which was all of them except Oogami, that just left Oogami herself to be paired up. And apparently even she had a boyfriend outside the school.

* * *

Sonia and Celes soon overheard more of the same from the so-called "Naegi trio" about a week later. "I've known Naegi longer than the both of you," came Maizono's voice, "Combined even." "Yet Naegi was only aware of your feelings recently," Kirigiri said in response, "Thus we are on even ground." Eager to see Maizono's reaction, Celes peaked around the corner, and was pleased to see Maizono turn red with anger. Giggling, Celes turned back to Sonia. "I'm certain Naegi loves all three of them equally, but that's how a girl's heart works. When we find a rival in love, we look for any advantage we can get."

Sonia laughed. The two of them had become fast friends from the start of the year, with Sonia being fascinated with Japanese culture and Celes desiring the romanticism of European culture. "Is that why you take on a Western name?," Sonia asked. Celes nodded. "My real name is Taeko Yasuhiro. I grew up on romance novels taking place in the Western countries and desired that lifestyle. When my talent for gambling became apparent, I decided to use that as a slow and steady means of achieving my dream. To date I've only lost once, to Tora's father Phoenix Wright."

"Really?," Sonia said, surprised that someone with Celes's skills would lose at all. Celes nodded. "This wasn't really gambling per se, just a simple game of poker. But at that time Phoenix had been temporarily disbarred and had taken to challenging champions to pokers games, betting a modest sum that he would win. I was a child at the time, young and arrogant. I thought there was no one who could beat me. I remember seeing a much younger Tora there, along with his adopted sister. The two of them stood back while their father won hand after hand. It was the only time it's happened, facing an opponent whose face was so nonchalant it was impossible to read."

* * *

"And I keep finding myself experiencing periods of missing time after each experiment," Enoshima said to the group. She had apparently been selected by an individual named Yasuke Matsuda, the "Super High School Level Neurologist". He had been asking several students from other classes to partake in experiments involving artificial memories, which he said was to help people suffering from various mental afflictions by giving them a completely different mindset. However, Enoshima found herself missing so much time afterward she would check to make sure Matsuda didn't do anything weird to her.

"I spoke to the headmaster just in case," Enoshima said, "He was able to confirm that Matsuda's actions were purely focused on his experiments, but insisted he stick to male test subjects from now on. He hasn't come near me since." "And he would do well to continue to stay away from you," Tora said, "Just because the headmaster didn't find any evidence of Matsuda taking advantage of you doesn't mean he wasn't trying to. He may simply have been waiting for the moment his experiments were complete." Kirigiri put her hand on her chin. "Why choose subjects who have no mental issues? I'd think Fukawa would be a better test subject than Enoshima." The others looked really thoughtful.

* * *

The next day the class decided to watch a movie in the AV room. Sonia had somehow managed to convince everyone to watch "Friday the 13th", translated to Japanese of course. Naturally at the first victim Fukawa had fainted and Genocider emerged again. "Well, that was just as scary as the sequels," Souda said, "Though I had no idea that it was Jason's mother who was the killer in the first movie." Tora chuckled. "Well, Jason is the more famous killer." "He's nothing," Genocider said, "He'd be easy if he wasn't immortal. And those kids made so many mistakes. None of my victims tried running up the stairs instead booking it out the door. They were at least smart enough not to corner themselves."

"I'd wager they also didn't keep stumbling over their own feet every two seconds," Togami said, "I'm certain you did have to book it just to keep up with them. Seriously, with how slow movie killers tend to be, I'm surprised they even claim any victims." The others all laughed. Tora then turned very thoughtful. "Say guys, did anyone else get an invitation to help continue Matsuda's experiments?" There was a general shaking of heads indicating he was the only one. "Well he said he needed me for something involving his current project," Tora said, "And I would have obliged except just before I got to the room he called me too, my stomach pains acted up and I headed for the kitchen to deal with it."

"Why does that make you so worried?," Oogami asked. Tora closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Because the next day the headmaster called me to his office and showed me a surveillance video of the room I was to meet Matsuda in. It was hard to see, but it looked like there was someone in there set to attack me." "There's something else bothering me," Kirigiri said, "You all know about the reserve course father set up in order to get more funding for the school, yes? Well, apparently there has been suspected unrest from them." "Not surprised," Hagakure said, "Unlike us normal students, who actually get paid to go school here, the reserve students have to pay a fee. Not to mention most of the normal students look down on them."

"Didn't you say something about seeing a vision involving them in your crystal ball?," Togami asked Hagakure. Hagakure nodded. "Take this with a grain of salt, after all even my predictions aren't always correct, but I could swear I saw the reserve students donning these weird bear masks and staging a riot of sorts. They were being led by some guy with long white hair and piercing red eyes." "The only person who fits that description is Izuru Kamukura," Kirigiri said, "The 'Super High School Level Despair'. Father has always been interested in intangibles, regardless of what they represent. This is why Naegi and Komaeda were selected."

Naegi closed his eyes. "We were all selected so that we could bring hope to future generations. Maybe he's allowing the epitome of despair in as a means of trying to avoid it. By understanding it, despair can be thwarted." "And it's not like we have to worry about despair here in this school," Komaeda said, "Especially since our group contains the 'Super High School Level Hope'." Naegi nodded. "Even the headmaster does not seem too concerned," Togami said, "Granted he's prepared for the worst case scenario but he's hoping his plan won't have to be used."

* * *

The two mysterious students met again in a hidden location. "Don't you think it was a little risky?," one of them said, "Despair cannot be rushed." The other student shrugged. "My apologies. I was hoping to turn her into the perfect girlfriend for a while before we got started. I needed _something_ to keep me occupied while we wait for the right time. Unfortunately, it seems one of our set-ups must be canceled. We lost our one and only chance to fake my death." "We could always manipulate their minds to make them think you're dead." "No need, once their memories are gone it will be moot." "If you say so. But this decision may come back to haunt us if we're not careful."

To be continued...

**Well, things are already turning dark, but we're not quite there yet.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Jabberwock Islands

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 3: The Jabberwock Islands

Fujisaki put the finishing touches on his latest program. By implementing a combination of AI program and an animatronics program, he was able to make an ordinary stuffed animal move on its own. As he finished the test run, Saionji knocked on his door. "Fujisaki, guess what?," she said excitedly, "We're going on a field trip! The school was able to rent out the entire resort on Jabberwock Island for our class!" Pretty much everyone knew about the Jabberwock Islands, an archipelago that housed a massive resort, which included several hotels, a number of beaches, and an amusement park.

As the two of them headed out, another person managed to sneak into Fujisaki's room. Speaking into a cell phone, the person said, "It's as you said Master. He has completed it." 'Excellent,' said the person on the other line, 'Bring the prototype at once and we will make the necessary adjustments for our plans.' The mysterious person picked up the pure white teddie bear, still installed with the animatronic program, as well as the software needed to run it. "Only a matter of time before we can put this to use," he said with a grin.

* * *

The students started off their week-long field trip with a nice party inside the main lodge. Hanamura, off course, had agreed to take care of the food, including several tropical-based dishes such as Churrasco, a kebab-like dish, and a large meat on a bone. Pretty much everyone's jaw dropped at the site of Owari easily consuming the meat on a bone in almost a minute. "Well well," Hanamura said, "Someone has a healthy appetite. Perhaps your food cravings are what contributed to your enormous chest cannons." "Pretty much," Owari said nonchalantly. Pekoyama looked at her. "Are you even the least bit aware that he was being lewd?" Owari swallowed. "Sure I am. But I'm used to it."

"Hey Kirigiri," Maizono said, "I almost forget to ask. You said you came here specifically to find your father, the headmaster. What did you mean?" "Dost mine ears deceive me?," Celes said, "A conversation between you two that doesn't involve fighting over Naegi?" Kirigiri giggled. "Well, to tell the truth, my family comes from a long line of celebrated detectives. But in recent years we've kept our skills secret to avoid criminals learning from them. My father however... He never wanted to be a detective. So one day he just left. Next thing I hear he's the headmaster at a high school that only excepts the most elite students. So I bring my skills into the limelight so I would be scouted out."

"Yes, we know that last part," Celes said, "But you never elaborated on how things went with your father." Kirigiri smiled. "Well, I was surprised to find he still had a picture of me as a little girl playing airplane in his arms. There was a another thing mentioned, but since it concerns more private information I won't speak of it. I can only say it involves my full name." "Sounds like deep down, he missed you," Maizono said. Kirigiri nodded. "What about you and your idol band? I hear you've gone to some interesting lengths to stay on top."

"Only indirectly," Maizono said, "You see, I'm very protective of my friends. I won't let anything bad happen to them just because of some sleazebag manager who thinks he can get some naive teen girl in his bed. I can seem them coming a mile away." Celes gave an impressed whistle. "How can you manage that?" Maizono giggled. "I'm an esper. I can't really read too deeply into another person's mind, but I can pick up surface thoughts." "I'd say spiritual power is hogwash," Kirigiri said, "Except we have a true to life shaman who can perform _actual_ divination. And there's also Tora."

"What about Tora?," Tsumiki said as she joined the conversation. "Tora told me himself," Kirigiri explained, "He has a blood relation to the famous Fey clan of spirit mediums through his mother, who was born into one of the branch families. He cannot perform channelings himself, but he can detect when a person is lying through a strange phenomenon called 'psyche-locks', which are spiritual locks people subconsciously create to hide their innermost secrets. His father can also do this, be he needs a special artifact. Tora can do it all on his own." Tsumiki looked over to her boyfriend in wonder.

* * *

The next day saw the gang hitting the amusement park. From seeing Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama emerge from the tunnel of love kissing, to actually hearing Owari scream like the girl she is while a roller coaster, the day was full of fun and amusement. "I actually got serious about cooking after my mother took ill," Hanamura told Ooshida as they watched Komaeda win game after game on the midway, "She's practically worked herself to exhaustion. I hope to get the ensured success that comes with going to this school so I can bring the Hanamura family restaurant back from the brink of ruin. I was a little worried about leaving mamma behind, but she said she would be alright."

Komaeda had moved alongside Kuwata at the milk bottle game. Kuwata threw a severe fastball worthy of a "Super High School Level All Star" and succeeded in knocking down all the bottles. Komaeda took his turn, throwing a shot that a little wide. "Dude that'll never make it," Kuwata said. Komaeda smiled. "Wait for it..." Sure enough, even his wide shot was able to knock all the milk bottles down. "I'd make a remark about how that was just luck," Kuwata said, "Except knowing you, it probably was." Meanwhile Nanami and Koizumi were engrossed in a mystery game that was featured in the arcade.

"This reminds of an incident that happened in school a few months ago," Koizumi said, "But with different events. For example unlike the girl in the game, I really did turn in the evidence that was contained in those photos. Satou claimed she had killed Kuzuryuu's sister because she was bullying me, but I knew that wasn't true." "I wish I'da caught her first," Kuzuryuu said as he came into the arcade, having overheard them, "I'd have cracked her across the knees. Or worse. No one messes with my family." Kuzuryuu had been very close to his sister, who was the one who ultimately pushed him to pursue a relationship with Pekoyama.

* * *

One of the more prominent features on the islands was a large resort hotel with funhouse-like qualities. While here, Tora noticed Hagakure acting nervous around Kuzuryuu. "You didn't call him the 'B' word did you?," Tora asked. "If he had he wouldn't be conscious," Kuzuryuu replied, "I just realized where I had seen him before. About four years ago one of Hagakure's fortunes didn't go over well with another Yakuza family. I heard he'd been in hiding for three years before they finally took down the contract on his head." "Which explains why you're older than the rest of us," Tora said, "But why the nervousness?" "Well," Hagakure said, "It's just that I get the heebie-jeebies near anyone tied to the mob." That caused Tora to laugh, with Kuzuryuu soon following.

* * *

On their final night the gang played an interesting game called Dangan Ronpa, or Bullet Refutation. The headmaster had created it based on some interesting notes he had found in one of the classrooms prior to the field trip. The mock class trial took place in a special room constructed in the mountain of the center island. Basically, the students would all play judge, jury, witness, and defendant at the same time. First, a victim would be called out, who would then have to leave the game then and there. Then the other students would try to find out who "killed" said victim. If they got it right, the "murderer" would be "arrested" and have to leave the game and the other students would move on to the next round. If they failed, the game would end then and there.

There were various minigames associated with this, such as the Non-Stop Debate, where the students would discuss a topic until someone found an inconsistency or contradiction with the evidence, or "ammunition", provided. However they would be on the clock so if they took too long they would fail then and there. Then there was the Epiphany Anagram, where a random student other than the "murderer" would be chosen to solve an anagram containing a keyword that could help them move forward in the case. There was also Machinegun Talk Battle, where any student, even the "murderer" could go one-on-one with another student trying to prove a point or make an accusation.

The two opponents would try and fling counter-arguments in a rhythm-style played using the buttons on their pedestal. Whoever was able to reduce his or her opponent's Influence Guage to zero would win the debate, though the person making the accusation would first need to present a key piece of "ammunition" to finish the game first. The most exciting part was the Climax Logic, where the student other than the "murderer" who had scored the most points during the trial would be selected to put it all together in manga format. Each trial had it's own twists and turns. The first case had Kuwata wind up accidentally knifing Maizono when she tried to attack him. The second had Oowada braining Fujisaki over the head with a dumbbell.

The third had Celes orchestrate a complex plot where she would trick Yamada into killing Ishimaru with a hammer, then betray Yamada and kill him in the same manner. The fourth had Oogami commit suicide after ingesting poison. The fifth had Enoshima kill Ikusaba by striking her with multiple spears in a death trap. The sixth had Hanamura accidentally stab Togami when he was really aiming for Komaeda. The seventh had Pekoyama kill Koizumi with a baseball bat. The eight had Tsumiki strangle Mioda, then slash Saionji's throat when she became a witness. The ninth had Tanaka rig it so that Nidai would fall to his death from four stories up. The tenth had Komaeda rig a complex plan that would make Nanami kill him by accident due to a fast-acting poison.

For the most part, it was Tora and Naegi who tended to lead the trials to a successful conclusion. Maybe it was the fact that their friends were not truly dead, but rather sitting in the spectators' gallery, but the atmosphere wasn't as somber as a real class trial would have been. In fact, it was rather enjoyable. The fast paced action and constant rebuttals made the trials go by in minutes, and Tora was sure that at one point he had broken his father's record for fastest trial.

* * *

Back at Hope's Peak Academy, the two mysterious students were talking again. "I know you're worried about losing the notes, but it matters little. They cannot possibly guess the reality behind them. You can even take advantage of this minor oversight to plant suggestions into their heads and reinforce the plan." "I honestly hadn't considered that. Regardless, their timing is a little late. Events are already in motion. Once we set off the Dead Man's Trigger we set up, our plans will begin. Your dream of spreading complete and utter despair to the world will become reality. And I will also have my dream of becoming a master of the mind."

To be continued...

**BUM BUM BUMMMMMMMM...**


	5. Chapter 4: Despair-Inducing Event

**And here's where crap hits the fan. Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 4: The World's Most Despair-Inducing Incident

The students inside the reserve building were horrified at what they were seeing. All of the so-called "special" students, minus the most recent class, the 78th class, killing each other in deliberately planned schemes. The final murder was performed by Izuru Kamukura, the "Super High School Level Despair". Once it was finished, the reserve students were addressed by Yasuke Matsuda, the "Super High School Level Neurologist". "As reserve students," he said, "You have been forced to pay a high fee for attending this school. And now you see the truth regarding what that money was being used for. But fear not, for my friend Kamukura has dealt with the last of them."

Matsuda wore his typical school uniform, though he short was not tucked in and he wore slippers instead of shoes. His hair was a messy black and his eyes were green. He was scouted out by Hope's Peak for having both documented and cured every known type of mental ailment at least once. Kamukura soon joined Matsuda, showing the events that had been played did not happen in real-time. "Know this," Kamukura said, "That while individually you may be ordinary, together you can become greater. This despair you feel, you can push it upon the world, as revenge for misusing your generosity."

What happened next was not so much a man-made catastrophe as it was a natural disaster. The reserve students, led by Kamukura, began causing despair inducing events one after another in coordination, creating chaos that spread like cancer. Before long, the violence and death spread farther and farther. Strong people killed weak people. Weak people killed weaker people. Weaker people banded together and lynched strong people. In only a week much of the world began to descend into despair, with the people slowly becoming desensitized to the violence. And the worst of it was that the reserve students who started it had no idea they were being manipulated by Matsuda and Kamukura.

* * *

The 78th class did not expect to return to a war zone when they got back from their vacation. Before they knew it, they were escorted into armored cars and driven back to the academy in secret. The horrors they saw on the way there defied belief. Interspersed among the violence were strange people dressed in white business suite wearing teddie bear masks. Half of the masks looked like the teddie bear Fujisaki had been working with, but the other half was colored black and had a more sinister tone. Even Ikusaba, who had seen her share of war zones, started to feel sick to her stomach.

* * *

"It's far worse than I feared," the headmaster said when they got back to the school. The entire building was completely empty; no signs of the other students. And the reserve building had been completely demolished. He closed his eyes. "Students. One by one I will call you into my office. There is an important question I must ask each of you." That question was, "Are you willing to spend the rest of your life here?" The students, knowing the horrors outside and knowing their friends would each give the same answer, all said, without exception, "Yes, I am."

Thus, the entire school was converted into a large shelter. The front door was sealed off with a steel lock that was completely blast-proof. The windows were sealed with steel plates that were screwed in place. The entire school was effectively cut-off from the outside world. It was the headmaster's hope that eventually the disaster would blow over, though he was unsure of when it would happen, if at all. The students settled into their new lives, relieved that they would not be alone within the confines of the new shelter that had been created.

* * *

"Interesting," Matsuda said, "The headmaster inadvertently locked us in with him. Which means getting out will be a simple matter of killing him." Kamukura chuckled. "In due time. Let the world wallow in despair first. Our machinations here are not yet complete, and the true game has yet to be set up. Let's lay low, wait it out. Give the students time to relax and let their guard down. Despair is much sweeter when you steal someone's hope. I must ask though, why did you wait until the 78th class has its field trip?" "Because they would have stopped our plans prematurely," Matsuda said, "Kirigiri and Tora alone would have been quick to spot our actions."

"Right," Kamukura said, "And the others would be able to prevent all our murders. Thus our plans to manipulate our newly-formed cult would have been foiled." Matsuda thought for a second. "Just to ask, how long should we wait?" Kamukura considered it. "We waited a year to being this. Why not wait another year to proceed to the next phase?" "That sounds good," Matsuda agreed, "It will give our followers time to finish the set-up in secret. The only tricky part is decrypting Fujisaki's new program for our 'mascot'. The rest has been easy." The two collaborators chuckled at the thought of the evil they would sow.

To be continued...

**Short chapter, but it was meant to be. After all, this first story is just the set-up for the two that follow it.**


	6. Chapter 5: Oasis of Hope

**No direct sex scenes in this chapter, but they will be implied. Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa or Ace Attorney.**

Chapter 5: Oasis of Hope in a Desert of Despair

Mioda snuggled closer to Kuwata as he slept. As the days wore on her extra-sensitive ears picked up sounds of machinery from the lower levels. She kept telling herself it was just the staff making sure the building was perfectly secure, but something was eating away at her, wondering if everything was truly all right. _'Then again, why wouldn't they be? It's not like any unfriendly characters got in without us knowing. They would have been found out by now.'_ Having convinced herself to relax, she fell asleep in her boyfriend's arms.

* * *

Tanaka still had a hard time believing it, but the beautiful reality was before his eyes. Sonia, his beloved, had up and pledged her honor to him, without a hint of regret in her eyes. Apparently, such an action was permitted by law in her country. It was the perfect coupling, Tanaka had always seen himself as close to the dark arts, yet a perfectly pure angel had offered to be his forever. Now Sonia was lying asleep in his arms, a look of contentment on her face. Even now he could see that same radiance shining through. Tanaka smiled. "Sleep well, princess. Hopefully soon this nightmare will pass."

* * *

Ishimaru and Oowada finished their rounds and then parted ways to sleep. As he got into bed, Oowada got out a picture of his girlfriend from the gang. "I can't help but wonder if you're still alive out there babe. With how messed up the world has gotten. You, the gang... I promised my brother I'd keep the Crazy Diamonds strong. But... Could even the greatest gang in survive like this?" He thought about, then smiled. "Bah, I shouldn't be thinking like that. I know you're still out there babe. And when this is all over, I'll find you... Somehow..."

* * *

Fujisaki looked through his entire room, but he couldn't find the program he had been working on before the field trip. "What's wrong Fujisaki?," Saionji asked as she came in. "I seem to have lost that program I was working on," Fujisaki replied, "You know, the one that could animate toys. I was hoping to use it as a birthday present for you, but it's missing, as is the prototype I was working on." Saionji looked disappointed. "Aw, you were gonna give a toy that could move on its own but now it's gone. Rats! What sort of toy was it?"

"A pure white teddie bear," Fujisaki said, "I remember you looking at one in a toy magazine and had it ordered to use as the prototype for my program. I wanted to surprise you with it." Saionji's eyes twinkled. "That's so sweet of you! Too bad someone took it. I mean, there's no way a genius like you would lose something so important." Fujisaki put a hand to his chin. "But who could have taken it? I've already checked with the others and none of them have it, and it's not in any of their rooms." A thought struck him. "Could there be someone in the school besides us and the headmaster?"

* * *

Several months passed without incident, save for one or two cases of cabin fever. And even those didn't last for long. Togami and Kuzuryuu were sitting in the reading room discussing the most obvious thing on everyone's minds; how were everyone's families holding up. "I'd like to hope that we'll all see our loved ones when we finally make it out of here," Togami said, "Even something like this is bound to end sooner or later." Kuzuryuu nodded. "The way I see it, we're grouped into three types of people here. First, there are those of us who have no family left on the outside to begin with, like Pekoyama or Ooshida. Then there are those of us who, while we'd certainly miss our families, would simply move on afterward, like the two of us. Finally there are those of us who would go ballistic upon finding out those closest to them were gone, like Maizono or Hanamura. We have no way of knowing what the outside's gonna be like when we're done, and until it's over we're just stuck here. That's it."

* * *

Almost a year had passed. Kamukura smiled as his followers finished the last of the death machines. His plan was ready to move into the next phase. "Do you have everything ready Matsuda?," he asked his partner. Matsuda nodded. "Everything's in place. But why take half of them out of the building." "You built that false persona from one of Fujisaki's programs," Kamukura said, "But it's worthless if can't be properly spread. That's why we need to take fifteen of the students to a secret location. Future Foundations has no idea that a mole has planted within. But we still need the rest to remain here so that the murders we force upon them will continue to keep despair strong. My dream is upon us. There is just one more obstacle in our path... The headmaster."

To be continued...

**The final lead in happens next chapter. And don't sweat the small chapters here. I threw in too many details in the previous chapters so I have no idea how much more I can write.**


	7. Chapter 6: Despair Academy

**Okay, this chapter will probably be one of my shortest, but keep in mind this is just a set-up. Oh, and this is where we lead up to the next story.**

Chapter 6: Despair Academy

Jin Kirigiri, the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy and Kyouko Kirigiri's father, sat in the middle of his office, waiting for news from his agents outside that everything had started to quite down. As he closed his eyes to think about what was happening, he felt something sharp jab into his neck. From the feel of it, it was a syringe. The next thing he knew, he was out cold. Matsuda, who held the syringe, gave the signal to come in. Several people wearing bear masks walked into the room and took Jin by the arms, dragging him to where Kamukura was waiting.

Matsuda then logged on to Jin's computer. When it asked for a password, Matsuda smirked. He had already analyzed Jin so he knew what the password had to be; Kyouko Kirigiri, the name of Jin's daughter. Matsuda cracked his knuckles as he prepared his work. He needed to move all the files pertaining to the students in easy to access locations on the computer. He was no programmer, but after figuring out the password he knew he didn't to be Fujisaki to figure it out. Once he was finished, he contacted Kamukura. "Our patsy is ready to take the fall," he said, "Shall I invite our guests to the party?"

* * *

"Indeed," Kamukura said on the other line, "Let us begin the next phase." He hung up the phone. Before him, Jin began stirring. He was bound to a chair with duct tape and had been bound and gagged. "Ah, Headmaster Kirigiri. I assume you recognize my voice. I'm sorry to say your term as headmaster is soon to end. Though I've decided you at least deserve to know my future plans. Once I have dealt with you, your precious students, the 'hope' for the future you've placed your faith in, will soon be separated. I intend to have one group utilized to hijack the minds of every person still alive out there on the outside, and by now I imagine there is still a rather large population. After all, even an event such as the one I orchestrated cannot bring about complete genocide."

Jin struggled vainly against his restraints. "As for the rest of the students, they will kept here. An associate of mine will subtly goad them into killing one another. This of course will entail erasing their memories, as not even the deepest despair can bring them to kill their closest friends. Oh, there will be survivors of course. If all goes as planned there should be seven survivors in total. And one of those that remain will be set up as our leader. Oh don't worry, I don't mean your precious daughter. Her I intend to keep alive, as a favor to the headmaster who took pity on me. You however... Well, let's say I hope, and believe me that's not something I do to often, that you have already said your goodbyes." He pressed a button to activate the stuffed bear, now with the left side painted black with a sharp-toothed grin and misshapen red eye.

* * *

When the intercom called all the students to the entrance hall, they wondered what the headmaster wanted with them. Suddenly Hanamura smelled something funny. "What is that?" The others started sniffing the air, and Kirigiri's eyes went wide. "Knock out gas! They've gotten into the school somehow!" Before they could move to escape, they started dropping one by one. Matsuda entered the hall, wearing a gas mask just in case. The masks worn by his followers were similarly equipped. "I knew it was a good idea to make that gas fast-acting." He turned to his followers. "Just take the fifteen we need."

The followers gathered up Komaeda, Nanami, Kuzuryuu, Mioda, Souda, Tanaka, Ooshida, Tsumiki, Saionji, Owari, Nidai, Hanamura, Sonia, Koizumi, and Pekoyama and took them outside the school. They were to be transported to a secret location and kept unconscious until the third phase was complete, at which point the mole in Future Foundations would lead the group right to them for the final phase. Kamukura soon entered the hall. "Our pest has been dealt with. Make sure the final set up is finished. I'll be at the rendezvous location." Matsuda nodded. He knew his task was to stay in the school and make sure things went smoothly. The only downside was he would have no way of contacting Kamukura if anything were to go wrong, as doing so would only lead Future Foundations to him prematurely. As the doors closed again, Matsuda smirked. "Welcome to Despair Academy..."

The end?

**My next story will follow soon enough. It will follow Dangan Ronpa's storyline except for one thing... SPOILERS! No one dies! Well... Almost no one. But you'll find out who when the new story comes out. See ya.**


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